KUALA LUMPUR - The Gig Workers Act will be enforced in late March, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said last Monday.

He said the Act would be finalised by the end of March 2026, with supporting institutions to be announced in due course.

“The Gig Workers Act will be finalised by no later than the end of March. So, that is what I can confirm for now. 

“As for the consultative council, tribunal and all related offices, everything will be put in place, and announcements will be made in due course,” he told reporters after launching the Kampus Rakan Grab Malaysia.

On regulatory matters such as minimum income rates and algorithm transparency, Ramanan said the minimum wage has already been standardised.

“If we look at minimum wage, it has already been standardised. The government has set the minimum wage at RM1,700. 

“However, in terms of regulation, wages and the riders, these fall under the platform owners,” Ramanan said.

He said the Act will provide key protections for gig workers, including guaranteed payment timelines and social security coverage.

“What the Act does is provide guarantees to them, such that payments must be made within seven days, and in the event of an accident, they are protected.

“The Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) also assures that once they become contributors, if anything happens, they are covered, and their loved ones will also not be affected when they are unable to go to work,” he added.

On calls for a uniform floor price for riders, Ramanan said this cannot be applied across all platforms due to differences in business models and profitability.

“Of course, the floor price differs because we cannot dictate a single rate across the board. Some platforms are profitable, while others are not. If we force all platforms to adopt one fixed rate, what happens to platforms that are not making profits?

“For us, we must protect everyone. Many believe that if we look after the workers, everything will be okay and that is the popular thing to do.

“But as I have informed senior ministry officials, we must have a balance. If we keep pressuring employers, what will happen when they can no longer bear their management and business costs?” he said.

Ramanan said stakeholder engagements will continue even after the Act comes into force.

“We will continue to engage stakeholders. Even after March 30, we will continue because there are certain matters that can only be seen after the Act comes into force. 

“We will do this on an ongoing basis, we will have to see what happens and gather feedback after implementation,” he highlighted.

He added that representatives on the Gig Consultative Council will be announced in due course, including platforms such as Grab, the largest employer of gig workers.

Ramanan also welcomed Grab’s decision to increase its contribution towards gig workers’ social security.

“Previously, there was a contribution of 3% borne by Grab, but this applied only to permanent workers. Overall, Grab covered 10%.

“However, after discussions with Grab's top management, Grab has agreed to contribute 15% for all e-hailing riders for their Perkeso contributions. All workers will have 15% of their contribution covered by Grab,” Ramanan explained.

He said the move represents a significant allocation and expressed appreciation for the company’s support.

“I am very grateful for this because the allocation involved is substantial, not small. And they are playing their part to support the workers,” he said.

Ramanan added that Grab will provide training and upskilling opportunities to 5,000 workers this year.

The ministry will also support skills development through financing assistance.

“Following discussions, the ministry will also assist 5,000 workers who wish to upgrade their skills through the Skills Development Fund Corporation (PTPK).

“We will provide financing assistance to help them improve their skills and their livelihoods," he said.

The Kampus Rakan Grab (KRG) has been rebranded from the former Grab Driver Centre into an economic empowerment hub.

The hub marks a shift from a service-oriented facility to a centre for learning, community engagement, and partner support.

There are nine KRG hubs nationwide, including in Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Penang, Melaka, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Ipoh, Kuantan, and Seremban.